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Melody
Succession of single tones or pitches perceived by the mind as a unity
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Interval
Distance and relationship between two pitches
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Phrase
Musical unit; often a component of a melody
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Rhythm
The controlled movement of music in time
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Meter
Organization of rhythm in time; the grouping of beats into larger, regular patterns, noted as measures
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Upbeat
Last beat of a measure, a weak beat, which anticipates the downbeat
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Triple Meter
Basic metrical pattern of three beats to a measure
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Compound meter
Meter in which each beat is subdivided into three rather than two
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Nonmetric
Music lacking a strong sense of beat or meter, common in certain non-Western cultures
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Chord
Simultaneous combination of three or more tones that constitute a single block of harmony
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Consonance
Concordant or harmonious combination of tones that provides a sense of relation and stability in music
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Triad
Common chord type, consisting of three pitches built on alternate tones of the scale (e.g. 1-3-5 or do-mi-so)
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Whole Steps
Interval consisting of two half steps or semi-tones
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Sharp (sign)
Musical symbol that indicates raising a pitch by a semi-tone
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Minor (scale)
Scale consisting of seven different tones that comprise a specific pattern of whole and half-steps. It differs from the major scale primarily in that its third degree is lowered half a step.
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Inflection
Small alternation of the pitch by a microtonal interval
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Subdominant
Fourth scale step, fa
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Transposition
AKA "bridge" - transitional passage connecting two sections of a composition
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Counterpoint
The art of combining in a single texture two or more melodic lines
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Round
Perpetual canon at the unison in which each voice enters in succession with the same melody (for example, Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
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Variation
The compositional procedure of altering a pre-existing musical idea
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Ternary (form)
Three part (A-B-A) form based on a statement (A), contrast or departure (B), and repetition (A). Also, three-part form
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Sequence
Restatement of an idea or motive at a different pitch level
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Ostinato
A short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern that is repeated throughout a work or a section of one
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Legato
Smooth and connected; opposite of staccato
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Glissando
Rapid slide through pitches of a scale
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Mute
Mechanical device used to muffle the sound of an instrument
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Conductor
Person who, by means of gestures, leads performances of musical ensembles, especially orchestra, bands, or choruses
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Genres
General term describing the standard category and overall character of a work
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Secular Music
Nonreligious music; when texted, usually in the vernacular
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Range
Distance between the lowest and highest tones of a melody, and instrument, or a voice
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Conjunct Motion
Smooth, connected melody that moves principally by small intervals
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Cadence
Resting place in a musical phrase; music punctuation
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Beat
Regular pulsation; a basic unit of length in musical time
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Measures
Rhythmic group or metrical unit that contains a fixed number of beats, divided on the musical staff by bar lines
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Offbeat
A weak beat or any pulse between the beats in a measured rhythmic pattern
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Quadruple Meter
Basic metrical pattern of four beats to a measure. Also common time
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Syncopation
Deliberate upsetting of the meter or pulse through a temporary shifting of the accent to a weak beat or an offbeat
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Harmony
The simultaneous combination of notes and the ensuing relationships of intervals and chords
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Scale
Series of tones in ascending or descending order; may present the notes of a key
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Tonic
The first note of the scale or key, do. Also keynote
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Dissonance
Combination of tones that sounds discordant and unstable, in need of resolution
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Diatonic
Melody or harmony built from the seven tones of a major or minor scale. A diatonic scale encompasses patterns of seven whole tones and semitones.
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Flat (sign)
Musical symbol that indicates lowering a pitch by a semitone
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Pentatonic
Five-note pattern used in some African, Far Eastern, and Native American musics; can also be found in Western music as an example of exoticism
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Key
Defines the relationship of tones with a common center or tonic
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Texture
The interweaving of melodic (horizontal) and harmonic (vertical) elements in musical fabric
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Homophony
Texture with principle melody and accompanying harmony
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Imitation
Melodic idea presented in one voice and then restated in another, each part continuing as others enter
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Form
Structure and design in music; based on repetition, contrast, and variation; the organizing principle of music
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Improvisation
Creation of musical composition while it is being performed, seen in Baroque ornamentation, cadenzas of concertos, jazz, and some non-Western musics
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Theme
Melodic idea used as a basic building block in the construction of a composition
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Motive
SHort melodic or rhythmic idea; the smallest fragment of a theme that forms a melodic-harmonic-rhythmic unit
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Movement
Complete, self-contained part within a larger musical work
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Staccato
Short, detached notes, marked with a dot above them
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Tremolo
Rapid repetition of a tone; can be achieved instrumentally or vocally
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Arpeggio
Broken chord in which the individual tones are sounded one after another instead of simultaneously
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Baton
A thin stick, usually painted white, used by conductors
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Styles
Characteristic manner of presentation of musical elements (melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, form, etc)
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Opus Number
A number, often part of the title of a piece, designating the work in chronological relationship to other works by the same composer
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Contour
The overall shape of a melodic line. It can move upward, downward, or remain static
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Disjunct motion
Disjointed or disconnected melody with many leaps
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Climax
The high point in a melodic line or piece of music, usually representing the peak of intensity, range, and dynamics
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Accents
The emphasis on a beat resulting in its being louder or longer than another in a measure
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Downbeat
First beat of the measure, the strongest in any meter
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Duple meter
Basic metrical pattern of two beats to a measure
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Simpler meter
Grouping of rhythms in which the beat is subdivided into two, as in duple, triple, and quadruple meters
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Polyrhythm
The simultaneous use of several rhythmic patterns or meters, common in twentieth-century music and in certain African musics
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Interval
Distance and relationship between two pitches
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Octave
Interval between two tones seven diatonic pitches apart; the lower note vibrates half as fast as the upper and sounds an octave lower
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Tonality
Principle of organization around a tonic, or home, pitch, based on a major or minor scale
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Half Steps
Smallest interval used in the Western system; the octave divides into twelve such intervals; on the piano, the distance between any two adjacent keys, whether black or white.
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Chromatic
Melody or harmony built from many if not all twelve semitones of the octave. A chromatic scale consists of an ascending or descending sequence of semitones
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Major (Scale)
Scale consisting of seven different tones that comprise a specific pattern of whole and half steps. It differs from a minor scale primarily in that its third degree is raised half a step.
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Microtones
Musical interval smaller than a semitone, prevalent in some non-Western musics and in some twentieth-century art music
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Dominant
The fifth scale step, sol
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Modulation
The process of changing from one key to another
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Monophony
Single-line texture, or melody without accompaniment
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Homorhythm
Texture in which all voices, or lines, move together in the same rhythm
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Canon
Type of polyphonic composition in which one musical line strictly imitates another at a fixed distance throughout
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Strophic
Song structure in which the same music is repeated with every stanza of the poem
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Binary (form)
Two part (A-B) form with each section normally repeated
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Thematic Development
Musical expansion of a theme by varying its melodic outline, harmony, or rhythm
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Call & Response/ Responsorial
Singing, especially in Gregorian chant, in which a soloist or a group of soloists alternates with the choir; performance style with a singing leader who is imitated by a chorus of followers
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Vibrato
Small fluctuation of pitch used as an expressive device to intensify a sound
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Pizzicato
Performance direction to pluck a string of a bowed instrument with the finger
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Double/triple/quadruple-Stopping
Playing 2/3/4 notes simultaneously on a string instrument
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Embouchure
The placement of the lips, lower facial muscles, and jaws in playing a wind instrument
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Sacred music
Religious or spiritual music, for church or devotional use
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Polyphony
Two or more melodic lines combined into a multi-voiced texture
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